In a surprising turn of events, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has emerged victorious over former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary held in Washington DC. Haley’s win marks the first defeat of Trump in the 2024 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
Despite losing in her home state of South Carolina, Haley’s victory in Washington DC is historic, making her the first woman to win a Republican primary in US history. However, Trump maintains a substantial lead over Haley nationwide and remains the frontrunner to face President Joe Biden in the November election, according to BBC reports.
CBS, the BBC’s US partner, indicates that Haley will secure all 19 Republican delegates available in Washington DC, bringing her total delegate count to 43 nationwide. This figure significantly trails Trump’s 247 delegates.
Haley, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, secured 62.9% of the vote, while Trump garnered 33.2%. Despite this achievement, Haley’s win is largely symbolic, given Washington DC’s strong Democratic leanings, with only approximately 23,000 registered Republicans in the city.
With 2,035 Republicans participating in the primary, according to the Washington Post, Haley’s campaign national spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas expressed confidence in the outcome, attributing Haley’s victory to a rejection of Trump’s leadership style and perceived chaos.
However, the Trump Campaign swiftly dismissed Haley’s win, labeling her the “Queen of the Swamp” and suggesting that her victory was orchestrated by lobbyists and DC insiders. Trump’s campaign press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, asserted that while Haley may have found support in Washington, she remains unpopular across the broader American electorate.
Trump has maintained dominance in every state primary or caucus thus far in the Republican campaign and is expected to accrue more delegates during Super Tuesday, the largest day of nominating contests with 874 Republican delegates at stake. Despite the uphill battle, Haley has vowed to continue her campaign until at least March 5th, when thousands of voters will cast their ballots on Super Tuesday.
